He then gave us an overview of the typical lifecycle of these bees. The large Queen emerges from hibernation between March and May depending upon species. Her first task is to feed up on pollen and nectar before finding a suitable nest site for her new colony. Often she uses an old mouse or vole nest.

Over the next two or three weeks she makes a large pollen lump and on this lays her first eggs. These hatch out into worker bees which are all females but much smaller than the Queen. Their role is to look after the Queen, the nest and to forage for food for the colony. You can always tell workers by the pollen basket on their back legs. Subsequent broods of workers are larger due to the greater supply of food.

Later in the year, around July, the Queen produces more queens and male bumblebees. These males do no work and are not allowed to return to the nest. They spend the nights out on plants and flowers and can be easily spotted, and photographed, early in the morning when their bodies are still too cool to fly. After mating with the new queens all males die in late summer or early autumn.
Essentially at this time the old Queen and all her workers die too.

The new queens, after feeding up on pollen and nectar, search out sheltered places to hibernate through the coming winter, before emerging again to start new colonies.

Shaun then led us on a walk around the beautiful gardens at Stanton Hall where he managed to find all 6 species for us to see.

A few other fact that he told us:

All bumblebees have stings but very rarely use them. They do not die if they sting us, unlike honey bees who are unable to extract their barbed stings from the elastic skin of a mammal.

The workers take between ½ and ¾ of an hour to fill their pollen baskets.

There are 22 species of bumblebee in Britain, and 6 species of cuckoo bumblebee. Cuckoo Queens search out a colony after the resident queen has laid her worker eggs, then attack and kill the queen and take over the colony. The Cuckoo Queen is then looked after by the existing workers. Cuckoo bumblebees never produce workers, just females and males.

Poppies do not shed their pollen easily, and to get the pollen the bee lies on its back vibrating violently to release the pollen.

And, finally, how not to become stressed trying to identify bumblebees, just go away, sit down quietly and have a cup of tea!

…and finally some nice pictures of some rather more complete examples of Gigantoproductus, that we saw in the limestones, courtesy of a site about the Geology of Missouri (interestingly at this time – early Carboninferous circa 300MY before present – Missouri would have been about the width of the Atlantic nearer to Cocklawburn, than it is now).
http://www.lakeneosho.org/Russia/Page28.html

Panthercap, The Sickener, Chicken of the Woods, Stinkhorn and Dead Man's Fingers – welcome to the mysterious world of fungi. Mushrooms and toadstools, blue veins in cheese, mildew on strawberries, Penicillin mould, brewers yeast, even athlete's foot – all are all fungi. Beneath your feet, between subsoil and leaf litter, under your lawn, in the park, on beach dunes and in woodland, fungal food tunnels lie hidden, absorbing and recycling nutrients. Then the reproduction platform emerges, the toadstool or mushroom to you and me, releasing spores to found new colonies.

Berwick Wildlife Group and Dr Philip Mason, international mycologist, thoroughly enjoyed a Fungus Foray in a wood near Coldingham on 8th September.

Surprisingly, fungi and trees have a special relationship. Miles of fungal feeding strands are protected by the tree's roots and in turn help to nourish the tree – a partnership. In Britain and temperate lands each tree species has developed a special relationship with particular fungi. Beech trees have Beech fungi, Scots Pine have Scots Pine fungi and so on – very disciplined. Tropical trees, growing in forests containing dozens of tree species, have a more free and easy arrangement, each tree accommodating a wide range of fungi and the fungi nourishing a plethora of trees.

In mature temperate woodlands, undisturbed for years, the fungi underneath their appropriate trees put up few fruiting bodies (toadstools). There is no need to produce many spores, the fungi are well established and safe living among their particular tree-roots. In more open or disturbed areas there are different species of fungi, each with more fruiting-bodies, as spores must take their chance of finding the right conditions and growing to maturity. In tropical forests there is a different type of fungus with no large toadstools producing spores as in our woods; think rather of the surface spores of bread-mould.

Berwick Wildlife Group found toadstools in a full range of colours – blue, green, pink, yellow, orange and the very poisonous red Fly Agarics (with or without white spots). Some were edible, like the succulent yellow Chanterelle, but unfortunately this was easily confused with the not-so-edible False Chanterelle also present in the wood. Much better to take Dr Masons advice – by all means admire them, but if you want to eat them buy fungi from your local supermarket rather than picking them in the woods.

A dozen Berwick Wildlife Group members joined Malcolm Hutcheson for a butterfly walk at Cocklawburn Dunes on September first, a bright day but with a strong cool breeze which might have kept all the butterflies down in the grass. However butterflies and bees were still on show in the sheltered hollows, which was where the group concentrated their search.

First to show were two Meadow Browns, a male and a female (the male is a dark brown butterfly only faintly marked with orange, the female is usually brighter). Both specimens were faded and battered, it is unusual to see this species which is normally on the wing in July so late in the year. They survive the winter as a larva (caterpillar), feeding at night on grass on warmer days before pupating in spring. An empty pupal case from last spring was seen suspended from a piece of dead grass by the path.

Next to appear were two Peacock butterflies, often around late in the year as they hibernate in Britain as adults. If you find one in the garden shed or behind the curtains in the spare room leave it undisturbed and cold until the spring flowers appear, then let it out to feed. Two Painted Lady butterflies were spotted in sheltered areas, individuals hatched on British thistle leaves and now flying south, maybe to reach the Mediterranean where they can overwinter before their descendents make the journey north again to our shores. A single Red Admiral flew past, probably also making its way south, as they can hibernate in southern England. As the climate changes they may soon be able to survive a Berwick winter – look out for them early in the year (March or April) when you just might see an unusual local survivor. Small Whites and Large Whites were also present in the dunes, where the caterpillars have been feeding on wild plants of the cabbage family. These butterflies have several generation in one year and this is the last generation of the summer, laying eggs which will hatch to caterpillars which pupate in late autumn and emerge in spring as adults.

Although this was a butterfly walk, there were other creatures to see. Bumblebees were busy among the dune flowers, although not so many as earlier in the year. Several workers of Red-tailed Bumblebees were still assiduously collecting pollen and nectar for their colony, but a queen Red-tailed was also spotted – hatched this year and destined to hibernate and found a new colony by herself in the spring. A drone Buff-tailed Bumblebee was slowly crawling over a ragwort flower-head, behaving quite differently from the busy workers of summer, sipping nectar to gain energy to fly in search of a queen.

Birds were flying and diving beyond the beach - Gannets fishing close in shore together with a group of Sandwich Terns, a Shag, Oystercatchers, Goosanders, 3 Scoters, and Eider Ducks on the rocks. A Stonechat scolded from the top of a dune, and House Martins and Swallows were still hawking for insects above, although the last swifts left Berwick in the middle of August.

Bees and butterflies may not be easy to find in the months to come, but as the bird sightings showed overwintering residents and new migrants will soon be appearing here.

The threat of heavy rain over Northumberland, following the heavy rainfall and widespread flooding in the Midlands, Lincolnshire and the upper Severn Valley the previous day, did not deter nine Group members turning out hoping the dull, dry morning would produce something of interest to see. We decided that the walk should be shortened as the chance of seeing any butterflies on the wing was negligible. The eventual outcome of the walk in the damp, grey conditions proved never-the-less to be interesting.

The wet June/early July has made all plant growth lush and vigorous and a surprising amount of colour was still showing in the Cocklawburn fixed dunes. The yellow of the vetches with Kidney Vetch, Hop Trefoil and Yellow Vetchling contrasted with large patches of blood-purple Bloody Cranesbill mixed with patches of pink Restharrow. A group of white "garden escape" Shasta daisies were noted and further along a patch of Meadowsweet giving off a light fragrance in the cool, damp air.

The sea looked grey, cold and choppy, more like a March or November day than mid July. However a constant stream of Gannets were seen, along with good numbers of Terns, mainly Sandwich Terns, all moving southwards. The first sluggish butterfly was disturbed, a near-black Ringlet and then another, a Meadow Brown, which dived into the grass and closed its wings tight – as if to keep out the cold.

We then moved on to the pond where in an adjacent small clear pool were lots of tadpoles, both frog and toad, in various stages of maturity. Several young Common Newts were also noted here. Attention was diverted skywards to a passing Whimbrel calling overhead, bringing to mind the Shetland name of "Seven Whistler" for this bird. Some noteworthy waterside plants were seen including the bright blue Water Forget-me-not, Lesser Spearwort, and the floating white flowers of Water Crowfoot among the leaves of Pondweed on the water.

We decided to proceed back through the dunes to a large hollow out of the cold wind, where a mat flowers covers a large dry gravely area. Here clumps of pink Thyme were in various stages of flowering and fruiting, with yellow Hawksbit, more vetches, Storksbills, and Doves-foot Cranesbill. Dotted through all this were small Long-headed Poppies and yellow Biting Stonecrop, making a wonderful natural picture. Also noted here were the blue spikes of Vipers Bugloss and the small straw-coloured Carline Thistle which is an indicator of calcareous soils. In this hollow were several red and black Six-spot Burnet moths on Thistle buds and the black and yellow striped caterpillars of the Cinnabar Moth, vigorously feeding and stripping the leaves off several Ragwort plants – natures answer to the control of an agricultural weed!

As it got colder and wetter we agreed to "call it a day" and head back home still full of enthusiasm. The Group will be returning to Cocklawburn again on September 1st for the final Butterfly Walk of the year, hoping for a sunny day in an 'Indian Summer' with lots of butterflies on the wing. See you there, perhaps?

A force 5 off shore wind battled against a huge onshore high tide, resulting in an exhilarating boat trip from Seahouses to Inner Farne on July 14th for our visit. A huge swell was created with large peaks and troughs. We got wet on the way out and would get wet again on the return journey - but it was more than worth it.

A mile and a half out of Seahouses we saw Puffins, Kittiwakes, Gannets, Herring Gulls, Guillemots and Shags all feeding. The birds were bringing sand eels particularly to their young on Inner Farne. A large colony of Atlantic Grey Seals performed well, the high tide leaving only a small area exposed where young seals born last autumn were lounging. About 40 other seals were in the water.

The strong tide made viewing nesting birds on the outer islands impossible, so extra time on Inner Farne was now guaranteed to everyone's delight. Entering the relative calm of the landing stage bay of Inner Farne a cacophony of sound greeted the Group – the Tern colony. Equipped with padded hats, helmets and every other type of head protection we took the short walk from the landing stage to the information centre. We enjoyed a short talk from an assistant warden on the birds of Inner Farne, and then out into the wind and sunshine again.

The nesting season this year was early but a good year generally for all the birds in spite of the losses caused by wild weather last month. But it is the Kittiwakes that are struggling this year. Their young are being fed a large number of pipe fish, these often too big and very poor nutritionally. One nest reportedly had over 20 pipe fish surrounding the dead chick.

The reputation of the Terns on Inner Farne is well documented. The Arctic Tern with its scarlet beak and the Common Tern with a black tip to its red beak were easily spotted. Terns lay eggs with two or so days between. Tern parents are very careful not to allow the older chick to dominate and take all the food. They take turns! Tern chicks were on the paths, in the windswept vegetation and behind seats. Adult terns were feeding Sand Eels to their young, as were Puffins. How fabulous to be within touching distance of a Puffin. Occasionally gulls would swoop and peck the Puffin in an attempt to make it drop its food parcel. They could also be seen lurking at the entrance to the Puffin burrows in the hope of a free meal. Shag posed shamelessly on the cliff edges and ledges, their downy chicks rump to the wind, as were their parents.

Photo opportunities were endless but a pair of lead-filled boots would have cut down the camera shake in the gusting wind. A wonderful afternoon and our thanks to the Billy Shiel company and the wardens of Inner Farne.

A cloudy grey day with a cool north-east wind greeted the hardier members of the Berwick Wildlife Group on the morning of Saturday 9th June for their walk to Needles Eye.

The small group began by walking round Sharpers head, noting some common flowers including both Creeping Buttercups with their sepals cupping the petals and Bulbous Buttercups with their sepals turned back towards the stem. Two years ago a rare creamy-white form of the Bulbous Buttercup was observed here but there are none now, perhaps because the genetic changes which cause the difference in petal-colour also affect the viability of the seed. In one of the buttercups two worker bumblebees (a Red-tailed and an Early Bumblebee) had succumbed to he cold wet weather. Bumblebees can only fly when their wing-muscles reach a temperature of 30oC (86oF), and as haar drifts inland may be cooled so suddenly they cannot keep their temperature high enough to make it back to the nest.

In Dodd's Well were 6 Eiders and a group of 10 Goosanders, with the resident pairs of House Martins which breed on the cliffs here. Also of note were two Painted Lady butterflies (more of which later). Two more members jointed the group here, adding to our observations for the day.

A walk up the gully to cross to the cliff path again was interrupted by some members picking up the strange fishing-reel sound of a Grasshopper Warbler, seen singing from the centre of a small willow-bush.

Once again on the cliff path flowers abounded, including Red Campion and maritime plants like Scurvey Grass, Thrift, Sea Plantain, the glaucous-blue version of Creeping Fescue and a tuft of compact Crested Hair-grass. Passing around the last cornfield before Needles Eye we saw a female Yellow Wagtail feeding in a wet patch, which flew off into the centre of the growing crop – perhaps feeding young? A Dunlin flew overhead and across the railway, to spiral down to feed at the edge of the large flooded area at the bottom of the new Ramparts Industrial Estate. Perhaps this is a natural indicator for what should happen here, as conservation is beneficial to all of us?

The cries of Kittiwakes on the cliffs at Needles Eye brought us to the sight we came to see. Around 1,000 Kittiwakes were on the breeding ledges along with 40+ Guillemots, 25+ Razorbills and a nesting pair of Cormorants. Also on the ledges were 7 Puffins, perhaps resting victims of the violent rainstorm on the Farne Islands two days earlier.

Before we headed back to Berwick the final highlight was the dark red spikes of the Northern Marsh Orchid with the lavender-flowered Wood Vetch, and bright yellow Bird's-foot Trefoil and Kidney Vetch. By now the number of Painted Lady butterflies we had seen reached around 20, most of them on the footpath with outstretched wings trying to gather energy from the briefest glimpse of sun. It is amazing how nature perseveres, as each of these insects had been stopped in their tracks by the cold day, having already travelled great distances from southern England and Europe. Some bumblebees, too, had warmed up to flying temperature, with a number of Red-tailed Bumbles and a Common Carder Bee on the Red Campion, and a dozen or so Garden Bumblebees on the Vetches, their long tongues enabling them to reach the nectar at the base of these flowers.

On a sunny spring afternoon, Berwick Wildlife Group were guided on a walk through Paxton woodlands by Richard Wales of the Red Squirrels in South Scotland project and assistant estate manager Andrew Binns. The walk took the group through mixed woodland, green beech, Douglas fir, Scots pine, birch and sycamore. Years ago, below the road bridge, beneath which is the Victorian beehive ice-house, the stream was dammed to make a pool for curling. This is no longer there.

Last autumn Paxton woodland was subject to management, clearing and brashing to increase light on the woodland floor. Beneath the trees, blossoming and in leaf, were banks of red campion, stitchwort, primroses and bluebells. The pungent scent of ramsons filled the air at one point. Green leaves and white flowers will make an excellent pesto when cooked quickly in a little olive oil.

On the path beneath conifers were squirreled cones. Red squirrels strip the cones and leave little ragged bracts along the length. Mice on the other hand nibble the cone neatly in a spiral. Woodpeckers leave cones looking as if they had been hit with a hammer. Red campions, a catkin and a sycamore flower make the perfect red squirrel lunch. Flowers, berries, young buds, meat and of course ripe nut kernels are on a squirrels menu. Greys seek out young birds to eat, reds are more opportunistic but will eat meat when they find it. High above the pathway in moss-lined dreys young squirrels are being raised. You can see dreys in February before they are hidden by leaves. Young squirrels, kittens as they are called, leave the drey soon and are independent in 10 to 14 weeks.

Two days before the Group visited Paxton a grey squirrel had been seen at the squirrel hide. Richard explained the dangerous relationships between greys and reds. Greys compete for the same resources as reds, and they may occupy the same dreys at different times. However the greys carry squirrel pox virus, and if a red squirrel contracts this it will die within 15 days.

As the group walked downhill mixed woodland gave way to the briary banks of the Tweed. A watchtower for salmon was discovered. Andrew has helped net the salmon off the nearby shingle beach for the past five years. The tell-tale sign of a v-shaped ripple in the water means salmon are there. Pausing by the children's nature pond the party sighted tadpoles and young newts. The sun was hot now and all kinds of Ephemeroptera buzzed about the pond. Andrew said that Great Crested Newts could be seen in the formal garden pond, but in the heat of the afternoon they lingered cool, under the pondweed.

By the hide the group stood silent, searching the canopy, the branches and the feeding posts hoping to see red squirrels, but to no avail. It was mid- afternoon, too early for the evening foraging. Squirrels at Paxton are fed at 10.00am and the hide is open all year, the best times to see squirrels being early morning or evening.

Berwick Wildlife Group enjoyed a splendid walk with Richard and Andrew, learning a lot about the woodlands and the squirrels.

A perfect Spring Day in mid April. Willow trees were turning a fresh green and down by the bridge near the Glendale Garden Centre a grey wagtail elegantly flitted over the water. A group of twelve Berwick Wildlife Group members and guests gathered to go searching for dippers.

Wooler Water is the small river which runs along the bottom of the hill below Wooler and takes clean water collected from the hills by Harthope and Carey burns to the River Till which feeds into the Tweed. It was alive with small fish and many of the rocks had telltale white splashes that gave away the presence of dippers. As the group walked along beside the fast moving shallow water they were able to see several of these handsome birds, some flying low and direct up or downstream, one standing on a rock preening and occasionally bobbing up and down and another plunging into the water and walking along the river bed, head down, searching for small invertebrates.

Further along a pair of bullfinches were spotted but quietly withdrew behind a tree and over a bank before many of the group had caught up and focused their binoculars. There was plenty to see so they had to be content with grey wagtails, reed buntings, a yellowhammer, a heron flying over and then, later, three herons in a circle in the middle of a field. It was very uplifting to see the returning Summer migrants. Many willow warblers were singing from the tops of the willows and alders. Swallows came flying over and were later seen on telegraph wires, and just as the group were deciding they really should turn back a colony of sand martins were glimpsed through a huge willow tree, swooping in and out of holes in a sandbank further downstream.

What a wonderful introduction to the delights of summer! With many thanks to the leaders, Sue and Bob Maddox, who knew exactly where to find all the birds.

All cetaceans observed should be logged with the Sea Watch Foundation on either the simple sightings recording form (for repeat records that do not need a description or details of behaviour) or a more detailed cetacean sighting recording form.

They don't form colonies like honey and bumble bees and have no workers. After mating the females dig holes with several cells, each of which is provisioned with a semi-liquid store of pollen and nectar. An egg is stuck to the roof of each cell. The eggs hatch, the larvae consume the stored food and overwinter, the pupae then develop and finally the adults emerge in late summer and the cycle begins again.

Although recorded widely as far north as Cumbria, and in the last few years in the Scottish Highlands, there are apparently no records of this bee in Northumberland. It is not clear whether there has been a recent increase in numbers of bees or, perhaps more likely, just in keen observers. Either way it is splendid to find this species thriving in one of the Trust's reserves.